verb

schlagen

hit · beat

Mit der Hand oder einem Gegenstand auf etwas oder jemanden treffen, oft mit Kraft.

Definition & meaning

schlagen is a common German strong verb with several related meanings:

To hit, strike, or beat
- To hit a person or object with the hand, a tool, or another object.
- Example: Er schlägt gegen die Tür. — “He hits the door.”
- It can also mean hitting repeatedly, as in boxing or fighting.
To beat or defeat someone
- Unsere Mannschaft hat den Gegner geschlagen. — “Our team defeated the opponent.”
- This meaning is used in sports, competitions, and military contexts.
To beat or pulse
- Used for the heart: Mein Herz schlägt schnell. — “My heart is beating fast.”
- It can also describe a pulse or rhythmic movement.
For a clock or bell to strike
- Die Uhr schlägt zwölf. — “The clock strikes twelve.”
- This use describes the sound or action of a clock or bell indicating the time.
To beat or whisk food
- Eier schlagen means “to beat eggs.”
- Sahne schlagen means “to whip cream.”
To propose or suggest, with the prefix „vor“
- jemandem etwas vorschlagen means “to suggest or propose something to someone.”
- Example: Ich schlage einen Spaziergang vor. — “I suggest a walk.”
To take root or develop, in fixed expressions
- Wurzeln schlagen means “to put down roots” or “to become established.”
- Kapital schlagen aus means “to profit from” or “to make use of something.”

Grammar & Word origin

schlagen is an irregular strong verb.

Form	German
Infinitive
Present, 3rd person singular
Simple past
Past participle

Examples:

Ich schlage den Ball. — “I hit the ball.”
Er schlägt den Ball. — “He hits the ball.”
Sie hat ihn geschlagen. — “She hit or defeated him.”
Die Mannschaft schlug den Favoriten. — “The team defeated the favorite.”

The verb can be transitive, taking a direct object, as in jemanden schlagen (“to hit someone”), or intransitive, as in Das Herz schlägt (“The heart is beating”).

The basic verb consists historically of the root related to (“blow,” “strike,” or “beat”) and the infinitive ending . It is related to English “slay” and “slag” through older Germanic forms.

With prefixes, it forms several important verbs:

— to open, strike against, or set up
— to strike into, smash, or choose a direction
— to slam shut or strike
— to suggest
— to change suddenly or turn over

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

The appropriate synonym depends on the meaning:

— “to hit” or “to smack”; more colloquial and often less neutral than schlagen.
— “to beat up”; suggests repeated, violent hitting.
— “to knock” or “to tap”; usually gentler and more controlled than schlagen.
— “to hit” in the sense of successfully making contact with a target; it does not necessarily imply a striking motion.
— “to defeat”; more precise than schlagen when referring to winning a competition.
— “to suggest”; this is a distinct meaning created by the prefix vor-.

Antonyms

— “to miss”; the opposite of successfully hitting a target.
— “to lose”; the opposite of defeating someone in a competition.
— “to stroke” or “to caress”; an opposite in situations where physical contact is gentle rather than forceful.
— “to stand still”; an opposite of beating or moving, for example when referring to a heart or clock.